Pakistan Sending Poisonous Crackers, Indian MHA Warns: Fact Check

Story:

A Serious Alert from Ministry of Home Affairs: Pakistan Sending Poisonous Crackers

According to intelligence reports A distraught and frustrated Pakistan, since it is incapable of attacking India in a direct war, is seeking Chinese help to cause the following damage,/ disturbance in India … Please read this carefully and take proper care to safeguard your family from any kind of health or other problems…

1. A different kind of crackers that produce smoke to cause Asthma in people who inhale that smoke.

2. Besides these crackers are also designed to produce Carbon Monoxide to cause breathing difficulty in people.further, China is reportedly producing decorative coloured electric bulbs and serial bulbs with a high content of Mercury. The light produced / emitted by these bulbs can be highly injurious and cause vision -related disturrbances in persons exposed to the light, especially children.

China is planning to flood the Indian market with these dangerous products considering the festive season ahead from Janmashtami till Diwali and Christmas. So, the public are advised to consider the above mentioned information seriously in their own interest and totally avoid purchasing any and all such products Made in China.

This measure is therefore very essential for the well being of all Indians …The Citizens are hereby requested to forward and propagate this serious alert to the maximum extent possible among contacts, friends and relatives to safeguard the people as well as the economy of the country …

Jai Hind

From : Biswajit Mukherjee,Senior Investigation Officer,The Home Ministry(Ministry of Home affairs)Government of India

Fact Check:

The message in question appears as a public warning from The Home Ministry of India about ‘distraught and frustrated Pakistan’ seeking the help of Chinese to damage/disturb Indians. Accordingly, Pakistan is flooding Indian market with poisonous Chinese Crackers and Decorative Bulbs with high Carbon Monoxide and Mercury content. Allegedly, the use of those products during festive season from Janmashtami till Diwali and Christmas will cause Asthma and serious vision related problems in Indians. So, the message suggests Indians not to purchase any Chinese products and forward the warning to others. Despite the popularity, the claims are not true.

Claims about Pakistan Sending Poisonous Crackers

The claims in question are doing rounds online through WhatsApp, Twitter and Facebook among others since at least 2017. They surfaced again after Indian government removed the special status of Jammu & Kashmir and brought them into mainstream finally. After the historic change in August 2019, some Pakistani outlets in fact started spreading fake news showing India and Jammu & Kashmir in bad light.